Seeing every trucker as Saddam?
In Minnesota, it appears it’s all about working against the trucking industry and visualizing every trucker as Saddam Hussein. How sad that our government has a captured audience in trucking and every time they need additional revenue they attack this industry, placing more and more regulations on it. And all the while disguising it as safety!

Keep up the good work. Yours is an endless battle against all odds, attempting to right the wrong all the while dealing with ignorant public officials whose only care is making themselves look good and generating revenue.

OOIDA is the only organization that maintains a single focus: to make the trucking industry better, safer, and more understandable to every citizen in our country. It is refreshing to know that OOIDA is not skewed by influences of any captive audiences.

If we could just get our state and national governments to commit 30 percent of their efforts, we would have a better country without question.

Michael JohnsonRiverside, CA

Shades of Perry
I have enjoyed the reporting of the Minnesota trooper trial concerning fatigue criteria. … Some great Perry Mason moments to savor. Only in America!

Doug SmithBountiful, UT

OOIDA v. Minnesota, the online coverage
Man oh man! This is some of the best reading in reference to the trucking industry I’ve had the opportunity to read in my lifetime, I swear. My hat is off to OOIDA on this one. The way you all are handling this case is superb.

I especially salute Mr. Stephen K. House for taking the time to see this through, for I know the loss of income during this court case is costly. Minnesota should make all involved resign and commence with a clean slate.

Irvin J. HalterVirginia Beach, VA

Speed differentials in the UK
Here in the United Kingdom, the national maximum speed limit on an undivided highway is 60 mph. Unless you drive a truck, and then it’s 40 mph. Unless your truck or van weighs less than 7.5 tonnes, then it’s 50 mph. Unless your van is a “car derived van” under 2 tonnes, then it’s 60 mph. Unless you’re towing a trailer with it, when it’s 50 mph.

And they do this because? Well, letting everybody drive the same speed on the same road with limited passing opportunities just doesn’t make any sense, now does it?

Allen DoddsLondon, England

Editor’s note: The truck weights referred to in the letter are in metric tons.

‘He shouldn’t have died’
What a well-written story from Staff Writer Clarissa Kell-Holland in the October issue: “He shouldn’t have died.” I like staff writers that write facts and truths without injecting personal opinions.

I am not sure if an air bag would have saved Carl VanWasshnova, but because the truck didn’t have an air bag, we’ll never know. My truck has none of the safety devices. I prefer an older rig – mine is a 1999 KW – but just replaced my seatbelts and now have new tall-back seats.

It’s true that the cabs of all these rigs just crumple. I hate going to the boneyard to look for parts. You see way too many of these smashed rigs – and when you look at the cab, you wonder how (or if) the driver survived.

J.D. BronsonOak Creek, WI

Hello, health department?
About a year ago, I was delivering a load of Starbucks coffee to a distribution center outside Dallas. No facilities. A woman driver complained and was told that was just the way it is, and if she didn’t like it, don’t come back. The woman – who lived in Texas – called the health department. Long story short, this DC now has bathroom facilities for drivers delivering or picking up.